Charter Schools

News about Charter Schools, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 12, 2015

Advocates for Children releases report finding that majority of New York City charter schools have disciplinary codes that fail to meet both state and federal requirements; cites high suspension and expulsion rates, lack of special rules regarding children with disabilities, and instances of suspension and expulsion without hearings. MORE

Jan. 31, 2015

Prime Prep Academy, Dallas charter school established by Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, continues to struggle financially and is closing its campuses in Dallas and Fort Worth. MORE

Jan. 30, 2015

New York City's Independent Budget Office releases report showing that special needs students remain at charter schools at slightly higher rates than at public schools; report contradicts findings of previous studies showing that special needs children leave charter schools at higher rates. MORE

Jan. 25, 2015

Ginia Bellafante Big City column holds that education proposals from Pres Obama and New York Gov Andrew Cuomo, which include making community college free and allowance for more charter schools, have spurred needed discussion about higher education and economic mobility. MORE

Jan. 25, 2015

Texas charter school co-founded by legendary football player Deion Sanders is set to vote to surrender its charter following years of management and financial problems. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo plans to push for controversial changes to state's education policy, setting him at odds with teachers' unions and possibly New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio; union leaders and other critics say issues such as teacher evaluations are distraction from Cuomo's underfunding of public schools in favor of charter schools. MORE

Dec. 24, 2014

New York City will provide space in public school buildings free of charge to 12 new or expanding charter schools; 10 of chosen schools are Success Academies, run by Eva S Moskowitz, Mayor Bill de Blasio's strongest opponent on charter school issue. MORE

Dec. 20, 2014

Students at Voice Charter School in Long Island City, Queens, attend music class at least once a day; Principal Franklin Headley founded school after learning that music and movement might improve language acquisition; 70 percent of students passed New York State math exams in 2013, compared with 39 percent citywide, and 39 percent passed English exams, less impressive performance but it still beat citywide average of 30 percent. MORE

Nov. 22, 2014

Charter school advocates take issue with New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina's accusation that those schools push low-scoring students out before state tests are taken. MORE

Nov. 1, 2014

California's race for superintendent of public schools has drawn attention nationwide, seen as proxy for national debate over teacher tenure rules, charter schools and other educational issues as well as telling conflict between different Democratic factions; incumbent Tom Torlakson holds that proposed changes amount to corporate takeover of education while challenger Marshall Tuck contends teachers' unions hold too much power. MORE

Oct. 31, 2014

New York City Comptroller Scott M Stringer announces plan to audit financial and operating practices of Success Academy, as well as three other charter schools; advocacy organization New York City Charter School Center immediately challenges Stringer's plan, saying his authority to audit charter schools is limited to finances. MORE

Oct. 11, 2014

Aspire Public Schools, charter system with schools in California and Memphis, offers yearlong apprenticeship for prospective teachers; idea is that teachers, like doctors in medical residencies, need to practice repeatedly with experienced supervisors before they can be responsible for classes on their own; look at challenges faced by three residents while training in California's Bay Area schools noted. MORE

Oct. 9, 2014

New York State approves 17 new charter schools for New York City; move substantially increases the scope of Success Academy, one of the city's largest and most polarizing charter networks, setting up battle over where schools will be located. MORE

Oct. 3, 2014

Charter school supporters hold rally in Lower Manhattan to highlight what they say is a crisis of quality in New York City public schools as Mayor Bill de Blasio and legislators in Albany begin to develop their education agendas. MORE

Sep. 11, 2014

Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration says it will find space in public school buildings for four charter schools that want to open or expand, including two run by adversary and charter school leader Eva Moskowitz; announcement is in compliance with new state law that requires city respond to co-location requests within five months. MORE

Aug. 31, 2014

Op-Ed article by Century Foundation fellows Richard D Kahlenberg and Halley Potter describes original vision of charter schools outlined by Albert Shanker, president of American Federation of Teachers; notes that Shanker sought to encourage social mobility for working-class children and social cohesion among America's increasingly diverse populations; maintains some charter schools have begun to follow Shanker's vision. MORE

Aug. 10, 2014

Michael Powell Sports of The Times column notes that Prime Prep Academy, Dallas charter school created by Hall of Fame cornerback and NFL commetator Deion Sanders, is struggling financially and academically and faces losing its charter. MORE

Jun. 16, 2014

Success Academy Charters Schools group's attempt to double in size by 2016 forces New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to choose between two troublesome options--hand over free space in public or private buildings to them or give schools money to find their own space; first option has frequently led to protests from parents and teachers in schools that have to share space, and second option could come with spiraling financial costs. MORE

May. 15, 2014

Election of Newark's new mayor Ras Baraka is seen by many as rebuke of both Cory A Booker, now a senator, and charter schools; Baraka had run campaign ads casting his opponent Shavar Jeffries, also a Democrat, as puppet of Wall Street groups that support charter schools. MORE

May. 12, 2014

Educational techniques that work in charter schools rarely find their way into public school settings, undermining decades-old rationale that charter schools are testing ground for new practices; political battles over space and money, like those that occurred recently in New York City, have inhibited attempts at collaboration and led to frequent conflict. MORE

Apr. 27, 2014

Office of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York says it has found space for Harlem Success Academy 4, Success Academy Jamaica and Success Academy City Hall, three charter schools at heart of battle between de Blasio and Success Academy Charter Schools founder Eva S Moskowitz. MORE

Apr. 26, 2014

Walton Family Foundation has spent more than $1 billion on some of the fastest-growing and most divisive trends in education since 2000, exerting an outsize influence on the charter school movement; group, run by family that founded Walmart, has contributed some $335 million to charter schools, giving grants to one of every four charter start-ups in country. MORE

Apr. 5, 2014

Op-Ed article by journalism Prof Andrea Gabor cites data showing that New York City charter schools have potential to undermine traditional public schools and the children they serve; says special-needs children are particularly affected; contends charter schools must be held to same accountability measures for enrollment, attrition and discipline as public schools; decries two-tier system in which neediest students are left behind. MORE

Apr. 3, 2014

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo is a behind-the-scenes force in giving New York City charter schools some of nation's most sweeping protections; interviews with state and city officials as well as education leaders make it clear that far from being a mere cheerleader, Cuomo was a potent force at every turn, seizing on missteps by Mayor Bill de Blasio and driving legislation from start to finish. MORE

Mar. 31, 2014

Budget deal announced by New York State leaders mandates that New York City find space for charter schools, which may hamper Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ambitious agenda of invigorating traditional public schools. MORE

Mar. 24, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio softens his language about charter schools in effort to resolve battle with charter school advocates that has hurt him at the polls and left his education agenda rudderless; acknowledges missteps in speech at Riverside Church; opponents spent some $3.6 million in advertising blitz that represents most significant threat yet to de Blasio's young mayoralty. MORE

Mar. 17, 2014

Editorial disputes notion advanced by charter school advocates that they are under siege by administration of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio; contends de Blasio does need to renounce divisive rhetoric on the issue; calls for both sides to stop escalating the conflict, and focus on educational quality. MORE

Mar. 16, 2014

Ginia Bellafante Big City column, in light of debate over charter schools in New York City, supports hybrid schools, which strive to offer poor children benefits of private education within context of traditional public system; offers Eagle Academy schools as successful example. MORE

Mar. 14, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio steps closer to securing state financing to expand prekindergarten, even as he comes under escalating attacks from Gov Andrew M Cuomo and the Legislature for his stance on charter schools; financing will likely be state money, rather than coming from a tax increase on wealthy residents. MORE

Mar. 13, 2014

Michael Powell Gotham column observes that New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, in charge of million-student school system, receives an annual salary of $212,000, while chief executive of at least one charter school in New York makes more than $400,000; notes that despite such salaries, many charter schools have high teacher turnover and high rates of student suspensions. MORE

Mar. 11, 2014

Mayor Bill de Blasio faces pointed questions during MSNBC Morning Joe interview about his stance on New York City charter schools and concedes that his public-relations efforts have to improve; he later makes a surprise appearance at a meeting of a group of charter school executives who had been invited to City Hall, speaking for more than 45 minutes about his approach to education. MORE

Mar. 10, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged to charge rent to charter schools, but education experts say his proposal might be difficult to put into effect; mayor is facing pressure from education advocates on both sides of the debate, who question his plan to extract rent on a sliding scale based on each charter school's resources. MORE

Mar. 9, 2014

Ginia Bellafante Big City column holds that narrative related to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's actions on charter schools has been hijacked by those critical of him; notes that while de Blasio has approved 14 of 17 charter schools in city, opponents have managed to highlight those he has rejected and paint him as elitist; says that on larger scale, de Blasio has received extra scrutiny as political symbol of progressive governance. MORE

Mar. 8, 2014

New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, facing criticism for denying public classroom space to a Harlem charter school operated by Success Academy, says she regrets her earlier remarks and will work to find space for about 200 students affected by the decision. MORE

Mar. 5, 2014

Eva S Moskowitz, who built a chain of charter schools in New York City during the Bloomberg administration, is locked in combat with Mayor Bill de Blasio; she has seen plans for three more schools canceled by him; de Blasio, who singled Moskowitz out on the campaign trail as the embodiment of what he saw was wrong in schooling, has followed his word with deed. MORE

Feb. 28, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says that he will block three charter schools from using space inside New York City public school buildings; move seeks to curb the influence of outside providers of education. MORE

Feb. 23, 2014

New York City's schools chancellor Carmen Farina, in private meeting with more than 100 representatives from the city’s charter schools, finds common ground over serving at-risk children but discusses little policy; many had expected encounter would be more tense due to Mayor Bill de Blasio's criticism of charter schools during his mayoral campaign. MORE

Feb. 11, 2014

Geoffrey Canada will step down as chief executive of Harlem Children’s Zone, which offers social services to 12,000 children living in 97 street blocks and supports a network of charter schools; Canada will keep the title of president but will leave most decisions about program to Anne Williams-Isom, the group’s chief operating officer. MORE

Feb. 4, 2014

The Appraisal column; Children’s Aid Society is selling Rhinelander Children's Center, preschool on the Upper East Side, marketing it as a potential single family townhouse listed at about $20 million, with plans to use that money to build a modern school in the Bronx; like other nonprofit organizations in New York City, the organization has been making programming choices that are playing out in the world of Manhattan real estate. MORE

Feb. 1, 2014

New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina announces her intention to shift $210 million away from charter schools to help pay for Mayor Bill de Blasio's expansion of prekindergarten programs. MORE

Jan. 17, 2014

Charter school movement is expanding into Phoenix's most impoverished area for first time, starting experiment in urban education; goal to open 25 high-performing schools in the next five years is focused on test scores in the growing Latino population. MORE

Jan. 17, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will need to align himself with city's charter schools, which he has cited for their 'destructive impact,' if he wants to accomplish his prekindergarten agenda; de Blasio is looking for classroom space and qualified teachers to accommodate 50,000 prekindergartners; charter schools are willing, but not permitted, to provide prekindergarten. MORE

Jan. 10, 2014

Results of study conducted by New York City's Independent Budget Office concludes that, in general, special education students leave charter schools far more often than their counterparts at traditional public schools; findings address common criticism of charter schools. MORE

Jan. 5, 2014

Vocations column features brief interview with Elizabeth Solis, assistant principal and history teacher at charter high school in East Oakland, Calif. MORE

Dec. 2, 2013

Bronx Community Charter School, which pays its own rent, may offer a lesson to many New York City charter schools if Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio follows through on his campaign proposal that well-financed charter schools begin to pay rent for their space and resources. MORE

Nov. 5, 2013

Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn files suit in New York State Supreme Court in Queens against Christ the King High School in Queens; accuses school of flouting agreement struck in 1976 that stipulated school would turn over to church nearly half of its revenue from leasing 50,000 square feet of unused space to a charter school. MORE

Oct. 20, 2013

Ginia Bellafante Big City column notes debate that has arisen over New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio's position on charter schools and over schools' fate under his potential tenure; says that Republican rival Joseph Lhota's assertion that de Blasio wants to undermine charter schools lacks evidence, and that fear and acrimony that has been sown among parents during campaign is premature. MORE

Oct. 16, 2013

Editorial contends the New York City public deserves a rational debate between mayoral candidates Bill de Blasio and Joseph Lhota about the future and importance of charter schools; holds that while there is little question that New York has one of the nation's most successful charter school systems, there are steps the next mayor can take to make it better. MORE

Oct. 14, 2013

In a 30-second advertisement, Joseph J. Lhota, the Republican mayoral nominee, attacks Bill de Blasio, the Democratic nominee, for criticizing charter schools. MORE

Oct. 9, 2013

Many New York City charter school leaders are concerned that the support they have enjoyed during three terms of Mayor Michael R Bloomberg may be in peril; leading candidate to succeed Bloomberg, Democrat Bill de Blasio, is a critic of charter schools and Bloomberg's educational agenda who has said he would stop offering many of the city's 183 charter schools free rent; by contrast, Republican candidate Joseph J Lhota is a fierce defender of charter schools. MORE

New York City’s Independent Budget Office found that 53 percent of charter school kindergartners with disabilities were still in the same schools four years later, compared with 49 percent in traditional schools.

President Obama proposes to make community college free for two years for qualifying students. Education ideas that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo endorsed include a tax credit for charitable contributions to public, charter and parochial schools.